Tuesday, September 22, 1998

Cowboys defeat Giants

By David Moore

The Dallas Morning News

(KRT)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - It wasn't as magical as his performance on Thanksgiving Day nearly four years ago.

But the Cowboys weren't looking to Jason Garrett for magic. Deion Sanders provided plenty of that on this Monday evening at Giants Stadium.

What the Cowboys needed from Troy Aikman's replacement was substance. That's what Garrett delivered in leading Dallas to a remarkably easy 31-7 victory over the New York Giants, snapping the Cowboys' eight-game road losing streak.

"That was an unbelievably great team victory," Cowboys coach Chan Gailey said. "To come in here against the defending (division) champions and play with the emotion and focus that our team played with...

"I'm was very proud."

Garrett's performance against Green Bay four years ago, in which threw for 311 yards and two touchdowns, is part of Cowboys lore. But Monday's victory is the sort that can change the complexion of the division race.

A Dallas team cast adrift in the NFC East without starting quarterback Troy Aikman suddenly finds itself alone at the top with a 2-1 record. Garrett, in only the third start of his NFL career, showed the offense is in good hands until Aikman returns.

Garrett methodically picked apart a strong New York defense by completing 12 of 28 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. He spread the ball around to six receivers, didn't turn it over and stung the Giants late in the first half with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Billy Davis.

"Jason had a wonderful game," Sanders said. "It was time for him to step in there, and he was ready."

He wasn't alone. Sanders again offered Prime Time proof as to why he remains one of the sport's most electric athletes. Sanders got momentum rolling Dallas' way with a 59-yard punt return for a touchdown to open the second quarter. He iced the victory with a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

And that was just the beginning and end. In the third quarter, Sanders found the time to squeeze between double-coverage to haul down a 55-yard pass from Garrett. Three plays later, Sherman Williams, who replaced Emmitt Smith (strained right groin), burst up the middle for an 18-yard touchdown run.

"We all know how dangerous the guy is, so we shouldn't have been surprised by what he did," Giants defense end Michael Strahan said. "But we were. It makes no sense."

Sanders finished with a total of 226 yards in punt return, interception return and receiving yards. He was so good Monday, he even helped the Cowboys when he didn't play.

After his punt return for touchdown, Sanders was forced to the sidelines for the remainder of the half with dehydration. Kevin Mathis replaced him at cornerback and came up with the Cowboys' first interception of the season.

"That was an impressive display," Gailey said. "But the one thing that he said when we walked into the dressing room was that this was a team victory."

A victory in which the defense atoned for last week's debacle.

One week after it was humiliated by Denver, the Cowboys put the pressure on New York quarterback Danny Kanell. Dallas forced four turnovers, picked up four sacks and didn't give the Giants a chance to get back into the game in the second half.

"Last week, we didn't play well," defensive coordinator Dave Campo said. "This week, we did.

"This defense has no quit in it."

Gailey stood by his team's maligned defense in the rocky days after the Mile High loss. He didn't take the high road. He took the middle road: Gailey maintained the defense wasn't as bad as it showed in giving up 42 points to Denver and not as good as it teased in a 38-10 victory over Arizona to open the season.

This was a good game for the Dallas defense to get back on track. Even though the Giants had won the previous three games in the series, they never scored more than 20 points in any game. In fact, New York hasn't scored more than 20 points in the past 12 games against Dallas, a stretch that dates to 1992.

"I'm confused a little bit right now with where this team is mentally," New York coach Jim Fassel said after watching his team drop its second straight. "We're not showing the mental toughenss, the focus and all those things."

The Cowboys had all that in abundance Monday as they rallied around Garrett.

"You've got to make plays and rally around every situation," Gailey said. "That is what makes a team. You become a better team when you can do those things.

"I think we took a step tonight."

(c) 1998, The Dallas Morning News.

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